Understanding A2L Refrigerants & Regulations

Understanding A2L Refrigerants

SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR HVACR APPLICATIONS

What are A2L refrigerants?

Named for their ASHRAE safety classification, A2L refrigerants are characterized by mild flammability, low toxicity, and low global warming potential (GWP). They include hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and HFO blends. A2L refrigerants offer similar operating characteristics to legacy refrigerants, a safer profile than ammonia and hydrocarbon refrigerants, and are more energy efficient than R-410A and transcritical CO₂ systems.

As the world confronts the challenge of climate change, A2Ls have emerged as a replacement for older, high-impact refrigerants like HFCs and HCFCs in air conditioning and commercial refrigeration systems. A2Ls are essential for helping businesses meet the global objectives outlined in the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment, regional regulations like the U.S. AIM Act and Canada’s ODSHAR, as well as for achieving the objectives of the EU Green Deal.

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A2L refrigerants, or A2Ls, are used in refrigeration systems around the world, making sure that cold items stay cold.

But did you know that using A2Ls can save you money and help protect our planet?

Here’s how. A2Ls with low global warming potential can increase system efficiency, lowering emissions through reduced energy consumption.

They also have very low flammability, making them safer to use in a broad range of applications.

And that’s not all. Since A2Ls can make your system more efficient, your operating cost will be lower throughout the lifecycle of your refrigeration equipment.

With Opteon A2L refrigerants, you can do the smart thing for your business and the planet.

Opteon. The performance today demands.The future tomorrow deserves.

Get Ready for A2Ls

Reach out to an Opteon™ expert to learn which A2L refrigerants are now available in your area, and which are right for your application.

What are HFOs?

HFOs (short for hydrofluoroolefins) are a family of refrigerants that were developed to replace older solutions like HCFCs and HFCs. HFOs have a much lower global warming potential (GWP) than legacy refrigerants and zero ozone depletion potential (ODP). Visit this page for details on HFOs.
How safe are A2Ls?

Though mildly flammable, A2Ls are safe when handled properly. Like all refrigerants, specific codes and standards apply. Learn more about safe handling of A2L refrigerants.
Where are A2L refrigerants currently available?

A2L refrigerants are widely available in Europe and Japan, and their adoption in North and South America is accelerating. Many U.S. states have amended their building codes to allow the use of A2Ls, and broad adoption of these refrigerants is expected by 2024 as codes and standards are finalized.
What is driving the adoption of A2Ls?

As regulating bodies worldwide continue the push for more stringent emissions controls, A2L solutions—namely HFOs and HFO blends—are playing a crucial role in helping the world transition away from legacy refrigerants. The HFO refrigerant R-1234yf, for example, offers a 99% reduction in GWP compared to R-134a.

HFO refrigerants also have many advantages over industrial gases (aka “naturals”) including ammonia, CO₂, and propane. The benefits of HFOs include lower total cost of ownership, lower lifecycle emissions, wider product availability, and in some cases, a much-improved safety profile.
What is the importance of GWP?

Global warming potential (GWP) is a measure of how much potential energy the emissions of one ton of a particular gas will absorb over a given period, relative to the emissions of one ton of carbon dioxide (CO₂).

The word “potential” is used because GWP only becomes a factor if a leak occurs. (Refrigerants are not meant for release into the environment.)

It is important to note that GWP is just one factor influencing refrigerant sustainability.

For instance, energy efficiency is a vital factor when choosing between low GWP solutions. Trials have shown that refrigeration systems using the HFO refrigerants R-454C and R-454A produce 10-year total emissions of up to 25% lower than a transcritical CO₂ (R-744) booster system and up to 15% lower than a propane (R-290)/glycol system.

Despite the continued promotion of industrial gases (aka “natural” refrigerants) as sustainable solutions, A2L refrigerants offer lower total cost of ownership, reduced lifecycle emissions, better safety profiles, and broader product availability than alternatives like CO₂, ammonia, and hydrocarbons.

GLOBAL REFRIGERANT REGULATORY LANDSCAPE

CFC and HCFC regulations are structured according to a phaseout schedule that leads to the discontinuation of production and importation in a specific time frame.

HFC regulations are based on a phasedown schedule that considers the GWP-weighted volume (defined as CO₂-equivalent tons) of an entire class of products during a specified set of baseline years, and then reduces the available CO₂-equivalent tons over time in order to drive the industry to lower GWP solutions. By the final years of the HFC phasedown, countries will reach 15–20% of their original baseline and remain at that level going forward. Each country can decide on the most effective mechanism to reduce the GWP of products being used; for example, CO₂-equivalent quota allocations, specific GWP limits by application, tighter leak management, maintenance requirements, or a combination of the above.

Click on your country of interest to view the regulation time horizon.

Do these regulations apply to you?

The likely answer is “yes.” If you are a refrigeration/air conditioning equipment manufacturer, auto maker, industry supplier, contractor, facilities operator, or business owner using any type of refrigeration, air conditioning, or heat pump technology, the changing global regulations will likely impact you and your business.

High GWP HFC refrigerants are being phased down in favor of low GWP alternatives. Have you started planning for the transition? If you need help, contact our experts.

The Optimal Balance

Opteon™ refrigerants feature zero ozone depletion potential and lower GWP values under AR4/AR5 than the HFCs they are designed to replace. Specifically, Opteon™ XL refrigerants have an ASHRAE and ISO Safety classification of A2L and deliver very low GWP solutions (for instance, Opteon™ XL10 has a GWP of <1 per the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report).

Compared to other lower GWP alternatives, Opteon™ refrigerants offer improved:

The optimal balance

Success Stories

Opteon™ XL refrigerants are proving their value in installations around the world.

Opteon XL A2L Refrigerant bar graph — First implementation of Opteon™ XL in UK Supermarket

Opteon™ XL HFO refrigerants offer the lowest total emissions and lowest lifecycle costs versus other low-GWP alternatives.
Read Case Study

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- Chemours has been involved with ASDA in a multi-disciplinary team over a number of years, working on refrigeration solutions for the future and for ASDA which is one of the UKs major retailers. Chemours has brought to market a number of solutions in the Opteon range. And the latest of those being the Opteon XL. These products have been developed to achieve the lowest global warming potential but with enhanced energy efficiency and the ability to be used in systems which are very similar to those that have been used over many years.

- In 2007, the refrigeration industry became quite heavily regulated in something called the F-gas Regulation. And that really looked at two key elements. And that was really the existing estate of refrigeration technology with an end target to meet those requirements by 2020, and then what new equipment would be from 2020 to onwards. So our strategy for refrigeration is three key areas. Reduction, prevention, transition. Reduction represented a selection of refrigerants which not only reduced direct emissions but will also reduce indirect emissions. Prevention, it looked at the application, the consistent application of best engineering practises. Transition then looks at technology of the future. How then, from that good quality level of benchmarking of an existing estate performance do we then transition to the next generation technology? We're looking at about a 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent that we managed to reduce by taking that approach with existing estate. That's equivalent to probably 6,500 transatlantic flights of carbon mitigated through that period. We've also been taking the benefit financially from a 100 million pound mitigated cost through energy reduction. And also we've been able to sweat the asset for longer. So, limiting the amount of refrigeration system that we've actually had to replace within our existing estate through that period. We first started the trial of using an A2L refrigerant 12 plus months ago and it would suggest on the measures on the face of it that it was worth moving forward with this and then designing in a lot more detail.

- The Opteon refrigerants really do provide a up to 90% reduction in global warming potential over refrigerants that are at there in the current estate at the moment. Performance-wise we've seen absolutely nothing to alarm us in terms of performance and how the refrigerant behaves. We have ran a trial now for best part of 12 months. Both in medium temperature chilled and low temperature frozen to a great deal of success.

- The benefits I think that we're seeing at the moment, we are maintaining the architecture of the existing estates. We're using modularized plant systems, systems that are really coming off of production lines so we have quality control that is in place. We're able to reduce that trading risk quite significantly.

- The main benefit of the Opteon gas is to reduce the global warming potential. We need to use every opportunity we can to reduce the impact of refrigerant. The Opteon range is basically exactly the same as traditional refrigerants to instal and maintain. It is almost identical in its energy use and with a kit that we use to run it, it is fairly straightforward.

- If you look at, as you reduce the GWP of refrigerant, what you're actually doing is increasing the volatility of the choice of refrigerants. And we find that the A2L refrigerants, albeit, there's a mildly flammable element to it, when you look at it from a design risk assessment, they're far easier to control any of those associated risks versus any of the other alternative chemical refrigerants available, at those real low GWP levels.

- Using a lower flammable refrigerant, such as an A2L, a lot of the industry is concerned, rightly so, about this increased risk. When we did the calculations, using the Opteon XL product range, particularly at the ASDA MCE, it was found that it wasn't quite as daunting and not as bad a result as we had, maybe, anticipated. The DSEAR calculations have shown that, we'll end up with a relatively low risk rating. And in the main, what they call a Zone 2NE, of negligible extent so it's deemed to be non hazardous. Which was obviously the result we would hope for.

- The cost impact of moving to towards a new technology driven by regulation, is inevitably going to increase our capital investment. When we compare that against other alternative technologies which we've already trialled, we are still in a much better place, in terms of the lowest cost possible for that investment. So the value that A2L seems to bring, is far more beneficial than other approaches that we might actually want to take.

- Chemours has invested in production of the HFO component of the HFO blends. This is the critical part in achieving the low global warming potential, of these blends. That investment, which is a world scale plan to make HFO, shows Chemours belief that this technology, is the right one to go forward into the future. Commercial refrigeration industry, can be certain that Chemours is dedicated to providing them what they need. With the investments that we put in there, there's certainty going forward, past the end of F-Gas, into Kigali. And so we believe we've got a future proof technology, which will deliver what is needed for the industry going forward.

10 year indirect emissions — Total Emissions Over 10 Years for Various Refrigeration Technologies

Data referring to standard-sized supermarket in Leicester, UK. Actual data will vary depending on location.
Access Report

Child using thermostat — Minimal GWP. Maximum performance.

Discover why multinational HVACR equipment manufacturers Carrier and Johnson Controls selected the A2L refrigerant Opteon™ XL41 (R-454B) as an R-410A replacement in new equipment.
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